"I'm not.No more secrets."
"Good.You shouldn't have them.You're nice and kind and you don't need them."
He nodded."I know.You're right."
She sat up taller and pulled his head down to her.He smiled as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Please will you be my friend?"he asked.
"I already am, silly!"
With that, she laughed and jumped down, running back to Charles's study as if the moment had never happened — leaving him to get to his feet feeling as though she'd seen him more clearly than most people ever did.
Chapter Eighteen
When she got to the airport on Wednesday morning, Callie climbed out of her truck with a smile.She was looking forward to this.She and Ollie had seen each other a few times now, but in her mind, this was their first date.
The road hadn't exactly been smooth up to this point, but in the end, they knew each other better than they would have otherwise.
She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the sky.She didn't know which direction he'd be coming from.That made her frown.She was going to have to ask him which end of the runway was which.She was pretty sure that the first time he'd landed here, he'd approached from one direction, and the last time — when he came to collect her at the weekend — he'd come in from the opposite end.
There was so much she didn't know about flying, but she was eager to learn.
She grinned when she spotted the Cirrus.He was here a few minutes early again, just like she was.
She smiled as the plane touched down.It looked like another smooth landing to her.It was obvious that he loved to fly — it was so much more than a job to him.And from what she could tell, he was good at it, too.
As he taxied back toward the hangars, she walked out to meet him and hung back until he cut the engine.
When he climbed out, her breath caught in her chest.He really was a good-looking guy.That was the first thing that had struck her about him the first time they met.
He grinned and waved, and when she set out to meet him, he came toward her.Meeting her halfway, he wrapped his arms around her and grinned.
"Greetings, Lady Sunshine.The Secret King has come to fly you away."
That made her laugh."Let me guess — you've seen Zia?"
He nodded happily."I have, and she sends her love.Alara does, too, and Charles and Reaves."He held her gaze."You have quite the fan club in Napa, you know.I hope you'll think about coming to visit us soon."
"I will, in fact.I'm going to come visit Becca tomorrow."
He raised his eyebrows."Tomorrow?"
"Yeah.She wanted me to come today and stay over, but I told her I was busy."She tapped the middle of his chest."I had a very important date I didn't want to miss."
He grinned."I'm glad you didn't want to miss it, but..."He frowned."We're flying tomorrow, so I can't come get you.But..."
"I wasn't asking you for a ride.I'm going to drive myself.It doesn't take all that long."
"Oh.Right."
She felt bad when he stepped back."Just because I want to drive myself doesn't mean I'm rejecting you, you know.Even when I come to see you, I'll drive myself sometimes.You have to remember that I'm used to driving up and down the coast here to visit the fairs where I sell my work."
"Right."His smile returned."Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed, should I?I know you're your own person, and you're perfectly capable.I wasn't trying to take over or anything."
"I know that.It's all good.What do you say — should we get going?"
"Yeah.Do you need anything from your truck?Is it locked, or are we good to go?"
